


Corrupted

by stormyemerald



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Angst, Eventual Romance, Evil Link, F/M, Mild Gore, Plot, Post-Breath of the Wild, Post-Canon, This fic is very plot focused, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:48:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24179962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormyemerald/pseuds/stormyemerald
Summary: The Calamity has finally been defeated. Link and Zelda are finally able to start their new lives. However, Link suffers a price from the battle, and Ganon leaves its mark on the hero. With Link corrupted by malice, it is Zelda's turn to save him.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 46





	1. A Dance With Danger

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! I hope you are doing well during these times. This story is something I started months ago, but am beginning to pick it up again. I wanted to expand on the concept of Dark Link, so I eventually settled on the idea that Link get's infected by malice, and turns evil. I have a lot planned for this story, so it should be rather lengthy. I hope you enjoy reading, feedback is greatly appreciated!

One hundred years. One hundred years Link was sealed away to prepare for that very battle. He stood at the top of Hyrule Castle, having fought his way up. He hadn’t had much difficulty slaying the Guardians or the Lynels that guarded various points of the castle as he had had more than enough practice battling them during his time around Hyrule.  
He walked toward the Inner Sanctum, where Zelda was held. He looked up, the ceiling covered with Ganon’s malice, and at the center a glowing light. A voice called to him, explaining that it could not hold Ganon for any longer, and rays of energy burst through the malice, slicing the ground around Link. The ground began to crumble, and a large spider-like creature fell from the malice above.

Ganon.

The ground gave way causing Ganon and Link to fall to the unknown below. Link used his paraglider to ascend from the sanctum, as the creature plummeted to the ground. Link quickly scanned his surroundings, only to find himself in a place he did not recognize; a large rounded room. He focused back on the creature in front of him. It recovered lazily from the fall, standing slowly. The castle began to shake, and lasers of blue light shot down from where they fell.

Link could only assume the lasers were from the Divine Beasts, and silently cheered to himself, happy his fallen friends finally got their revenge.

Link raised his arms to shield himself as the light pierced through Ganon, causing it to shriek a horrid cry. The lasers ceased, and Ganon laid motionless. Cautious, Link lowered his arms and watched the creature. It rose slowly, releasing an ear piercing roar, and focused on the Hylian standing in front of it.

Link unsheathed the Master Sword, and it glowed its usual bright blue color when it was faced with any enemy Ganon related. Now Link and his sword were faced with the calamity itself.

The battle commenced, Link readying his shield as the creature tried to land its strikes. Link effectively dodged every attack, in between them landed attacks of his own.

Link was more focused than he ever had been as the creature raised one of its arms, this one had a device that pointed a small red beam toward Link, much like the Guardians did. Link leaped out of the way just before the energy blasted from the device. The creature closed the distance between itself and Link, readying another beam. The creature closed in on Link, who began to panic as the creature approached him, the panic causing him to lose focus of the other ligaments of weaponry Ganon possessed as he had his attention solely on deflecting the beam with his shield. He did so, and the beam bounced from his shield to the wall, and in that small moment Link took his eyes off of the creature in front of him, it landed a strike with one of its sharp ligaments, slicing clean through Link’s tunic, and gashing through his side. Link let out a yell as the impact tossed him to the ground, leaving his shield and sword to be thrown from his grasp many feet away. The adrenaline rushed Link as he had no time to wallow in his pain. Ganon was rushing towards him, nailing a spear almost into Link, who just in time rolled out of the way and rushed to his feet. He made a run for the Master Sword and his Hylian Shield, thankful the two had landed near each other.

Link readied his weapons, and the creature climbed the wall, crawling along the confinements of the area they were enclosed in. Link acted with great haste as he pulled the Sheikah Slate from his belt, and summoned a bow with ancient arrows. Link sheathed his sword and shield as the bow materialized into his hands, and the quiver on his back. He reached for an arrow, quickly placed it on the bow string and drew it back. He aimed at the creature and fired. The creature fell to the floor and the shield over its skin vanished, leaving Link the perfect opportunity to strike.

Link put the bow on his back, readying the Master Sword once again. Link prepared himself and rushed toward the beast, leaped into the air, and his blade made its way into Ganon’s head.

The monster screamed as liquid malice began to ooze from its head, and then the rest of its body. It writhed and it screeched, and purple energy shot out from its body, and its burst into nothing but purple mist. Link raised his arms to his face as the mist exploded from Ganon. He lowered them as the mist traveled upwards, to where they both fell from.

After Ganon seemingly vanished into nothing but mist, Link walked toward the center of the room, and what he assumed was Zelda’s magic, grew over him, and he was shrunk into a small speck of light, which followed Ganon out of the sanctum.

Link found himself next in Hyrule’s field, stood next to his horse, as a gigantic beast formed before him. Zelda’s voice spoke as an angelic bow seemed to appear out of thin air. She explained that the bow was called the Bow of Light. She urged Link to act fast as she could only weaken Ganon for so long.

Link mounted his horse, wincing in pain as his side felt like it was on fire. He rode close to the bow and grabbed it. It was beautifully crafted Link found, after he ran his fingers over the intricate design.

Link rode around Ganon, firing at the areas of light Zelda had created. Along the way he swiftly maneuvered through Ganon’s large feet, careful not to be trampled as he shot the weak spot on the beast’s stomach.

And the giant eye of the beast opened, a light brighter than all the others shined through. Link steadied himself as he stood on his horse, placing both feet firmly on the saddle. He ignored the pain as this was it, the final moments of the battle. He winced once again, before launching himself into the air with his bow drawn.

“Now, Link!”

He aimed his arrow perfectly, nailing the eye. The beast roared. And the light levitated high above the creature.

It was Zelda.

She shined brighter than the sun, and floated in front of the flaming beast.

It fell in front of her, and she shined even brighter than before, causing the creature to revert to its mist form, as it screamed through the air.

Zelda raised her hand to the demon, and the triforce glowed. A ball of light surrounded the creature, and with one last howl, the ball shrunk suddenly, banishing Ganon into nothingness.

Link watched as the sky cleared, hopping off his horse. He approached Zelda, as she spoke to him. He listened intently, her voice filling him with indescribable joy, as he had been waiting to see her in front of him for one hundred years.

Zelda then asked the question.

“Do you really remember me?” She said turning around to face the other Hylian. Seeing her face again nearly brought the mighty knight to tears, and his expression softened, eyelids heavy.  
Her eyes fell to Link’s side, his tunic ripped and stained red with blood.

“Zelda...” He said, his voice weak, before Zelda could point out his wound. He rushed to her, limping, and nearly unintentionally threw himself onto her, not realizing his strength was fading. “I’ve missed you so much.” He wrapped her in his firm arms, and Zelda quickly squeezed him back before pulling away to study his face. His face was littered with scratches and bruises, but her main concern was the awful wound inflicted to his side.

“I’ve missed you too, Link,” Her eyes filled with tears, “But you’re hurt.” She said voice wavering.

Link’s face only softened even further, the last thing he wanted was to worry Zelda. “I’m fine, don’t worry. Not all this blood is mine, some of it’s Ganon’s,” Link lied, gesturing to his body. “I expected to get some bumps and bruises during the battle. All I need is a couple of bandages and I’ll be okay.” He himself even believed that statement, figuring it was just another scratch like the ones he’d gotten fighting Lynels or some other monster. He was too filled with happiness upon seeing Zelda to be concerned with himself.

Zelda went to open her mouth to speak but Link didn’t let her, as he knew she would just keep asking about his wound. “Let’s just go home, I promise I’m okay.” Link said as he smiled. Zelda was instantly intrigued by his suggestion of home, and just decided to take Link’s word that he was going to be fine.  
“Home?” She asked, confusion visible on her face.  
“Yeah, I’ve got a house in Hateno, you’re going to love it. You can rest there. And if it makes you feel any better, I have bandages there that I can use to patch up any cuts,” He said that last part thinking that a few bandages would fix him right up, as he’s been wounded before in a battle, and didn’t expect this to be any different, even though it hurt much more than anything he’s ever experienced. “Sound good?” He said as he playfully pinched Zelda’s cheek.  
“If you say so Mr. Invincible,” Zelda giggled.  
“Home then?” Link raised an eyebrow.  
Zelda smiled wide and agreed “Home.”

Link helped her onto the horse before hopping in front of her as the pain intensified at the sudden movement. This time, he stayed quiet, not wanting Zelda to be concerned.

It was getting dark, and Zelda was incredibly tired, so she quickly fell asleep resting her head on Link’s back as they rode toward Hateno. Link himself was very tired, and caught himself from almost falling asleep once his blinks became slower.

With Zelda asleep, Link had the rest of the ride, which was about forty five more minutes, to get lost in his thoughts.  
He truly wanted to believe he was fine, but something about the way the cut stung was much different than anything he’s ever endured before. He pushed his worries to the back of his mind, and tried to focus on the sounds of the approaching night to distract himself from the pain.


	2. Not Quite Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link begins to imagine things, but maybe those things are glimpses of the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick warning for this chapter: there is a little bit of described gore! theres mentions of blood and injury stuff!

Link and Zelda arrived at Link’s house, as the night completely overthrew the day. The ride had been draining, Link had no distraction from his pain. At every bump or trip his horse came across his body ache. He put all his energy into keeping his eyes open for the journey.  
Zelda, however, was fast asleep behind Link, who stopped when he rode to his small stable built next to his house to leave his horse.  
Link turned his body to wake Zelda. He gently held her so she didn’t fall forward. He shook her lightly to bring her from her heavy sleep.  
The girl was exhausted, and would probably sleep for days, as she spent a relentless one hundred years without any rest.  
As Link shook her he spoke, slurring his words unintentionally.  
“Zel, w-wake up. We’re...here.” He spoke slowly, his eyes fluttered not only from just being tired, but because of how exhausted and out of it the pain was making him. He shook the exhaustion away for the moment, as soon he would be in his own house, caring for the wound, and then sleeping.  
Zelda slowly opened her eyes and a lazy smile formed on her face as the first thing she was woken to was Link’s face. Her eyes closed again as she flopped into Link’s chest. Link let out a small chuckle, having had never seen Zelda in such a state of laziness. He whispered.  
“Here I’ll carry you in, you’re just gonna have to wake up for one minute to hop off Fynn.” He said as he tapped the horse lovingly. His words were slow and his voice was weak, thankfully Zelda was too tired to notice. She slowly sat up and nodded, her eyelids too heavy to stay open.  
Link dismounted first, heavily peeling himself from his position, any small movement causing his body to shudder. He didn’t let Zelda see that, of course, and he decided that he would tend to the wound after she was in bed and asleep, which he figured wouldn’t take very long.  
Link held his hand out to Zelda, which she took as she nearly toppled off of Fynn, and onto Link. He caught her, bearing the pain of the sudden movement silently. He mustered all his strength to lift her off of her feet, something he would have been able to do with great ease if it wasn’t for the cut that was causing all his strength to flee.  
Link walked them to the front door, dragging his feet under the extra weight of the girl in his arms. He turned around to push the door open with his back.  
The hardest part hadn’t even struck yet. Link looked up in dread at the obstacle before him. The stairs. He inhaled deeply, and sighed, starting for the steps. He had to try his hardest to keep himself from loudly groaning and bit down on his bottom lip. Zelda was already half asleep in his arms, but he still wanted to be as quiet as possible so that he didn’t wake her and alert her of his condition.  
He made it to the top of the stairs and rushed over to the bed, placing Zelda on the comfortable mattress that he so desperately wanted to be swallowed by. Zelda’s eyes fluttered open.  
“Zel,” Link started quietly, “ Do you want me to grab you some of my clothes to change into?” Link said as he placed his hand on top of Zelda’s, and she replied, a little more awake than before.  
“Yes, thank you.” She looked up to him and smiled. “I’ve been wearing this old thing for one hundred years.”  
Link’s expression softened and he nodded as he walked to his drawers to pull out a pair of his pants and one of his plain shirts. He placed the folded clothes on the foot of the bed, before he walked over to the drawers once again to grab clothes that he would change into. He turned back to Zelda, who was sat up and reaching for the clothes. “I’m going to run down stairs really quick to give you time to change and to get out of these dirty clothes myself. I might take a few minutes to patch myself up too.” Link said as he started for the stairs.  
“Okay, don’t take too long, though. I’ve spent enough time alone, not counting Ganon as good company.” Zelda yawned, then smiled, and Link spoke.  
“Yeah...I wouldn’t take him for a talkative kind of guy.” Link returned Zelda’s smile as she chuckled at his comment. “I’ll be right back, holler if you need me.”  
Zelda slung both her legs on the side of the bed and stood before changing as Link turned his back to her, and began down the stairs.  
Link took deep breaths, the stairs were becoming his greatest enemy now that Ganon was out of the picture. His inhales were sharp as each movement sent a wave of pain throughout his body. It took him a few moments to realize he should probably use the railing, and he pushed all of his weight onto it as he descended down the small flight.  
When he reached the bottom, he headed for the space behind the stairs, where a mirror hung. He stood in front of the reflective glass, and noted how awful he looked, exhaustion painted all over his face. He removed his shirt, and braced himself for the nasty wound he expected to see.  
It was worse than he expected, the wound already suffering heavy bruising, and dried blood stained his skin around it. Link noted the coloring of the area. His surrounding veins dawned a deep purple color, resembling Ganon’s malice, and Link’s face scrunched up in horror and confusion. He eyed the wound on his reflection and tilted his head the longer he inspected it. Something wasn’t quite right. As he continued to scan his wound he squinted his eyes as he slowly watched the purple of his veins spread throughout his body. His eyes widened in fear as they followed the infection spread throughout his body. He backed away from the mirror. Still eyeing it in horror when the infection reached his face. The whites of his eyes turned to that same dark color, and the veins around them darkened with it. He was snapped out of his daze when he backed into the wall, causing a stool to tip over and crash to the ground. Zelda’s voice grounded him back to reality.  
“Link, is everything okay?” She called from upstairs upon hearing the crash. He returned his gaze to his now normal reflection.  
“I’m fine.” Link called back. “Just knocked something over.”  
Link was confused and nearly terrified, but ultimately pushed it away as him seeing things as a result of his exhaustion, as he was not mentally prepared for any other possibility at the moment. Link stepped to the cabinet, reaching into one of the drawers to pull out a roll of bandages and returned to face the mirror, so that he could continue to inspect his wound. The dark coloring riddled him with concern. He scanned his brain for any explanations he could think of. He thought that maybe the wound was so different because it was inflicted by Ganon himself, and he had never suffered a wound from him directly before. Link settled on that explanation for now, and told himself that with rest and persistent care it would heal on its own, and that he would silently bare it, like he usually did. That was how all his other ordeals with injuries went at least.  
Link wrapped his body with the bandages, and threw his clean shirt on when he finished. He replaced his trousers with more comfortable pants. Reluctantly, he faced the stairs once again, leaning on the railing for support.  
When he reached the top, Zelda was sitting up in his bed braiding her hair, dawning Link’s clothes, which were much too big for her. Link walked to his drawers as he jested. “I like your shirt, where did you get it?”  
“Oh, I actually bought it from a Bokoblin.” Zelda returned Link’s wit with her own.  
Link pulled out a blanket from one of his drawers as he chuckled. “Comparing my fashion sense to a Bokoblin’s. Ouch.”  
Zelda laughed with him, until she took notice of what he was doing. She looked at him as he laid the blanket on the floor, and reached into his drawer for another one.  
“Link, what are you doing?” She inquired. Link was confused by her question.  
“Laying out blankets to sleep on tonight?” He questioned, unsure why she was asking.  
Zelda was amused by his obliviousness. “You don’t have to do that. I’m pretty sure this bed has room for the both of us.” She gestured toward the bed, which most certainly had enough room.  
“Oh uh... Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.” Link rubbed the back of his neck.  
Zelda giggled. “Link, it’s your bed...in your house. If anything I’m intruding. Just get over here, you’re exhausted and so am I.”  
And with that Link didn’t protest, more than happy to sleep in his soft bed than on the hard ground. It also didn’t hurt that Zelda would be next to him too. He picked up the blankets he had started setting up on the floor and Zelda moved over as he climbed into the bed. They bid each other goodnight and Link closed his eyes, feeling worry creep into his mind. He just wanted to sleep and push the issue to another time, but as he dozed off, he couldn’t help the feeling of dread that washed over his shoulders. Link was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Zelda curl up against his back, and he turned his head curiously to check on her. She noticed his movement and explained herself.  
“Sorry if I disturbed you,” She whispered. “I’m just a little cold. I hope you don’t mind.”  
“No, I don’t mind at all.” Link replied, Zelda’s action making his heart flutter.  
“Okay. Goodnight again, then, sweet dreams.” She quietly sang the last part.  
“Goodnight, Zelda, you too.” With Zelda’s warmth on his back and her presence a physical reminder that everything will be okay, Link drifted into his long awaited sleep.


	3. The Knight in a Blue T-Shirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link further buries himself in denial as Zelda and him think about the future. Before they start on their plans, they go shopping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have one more chapter written, after that i'm not sure how often updates will be but i can assure you i have big stuff planned for this story!

Link’s dreams that night were the opposite of sweet. He dreamed of his battle with Ganon, the moment its claws sunk into him. This time, he was unable to continue to fight, and Ganon overlooked him as his body was taken over by malice, much like what he thought he saw in the mirror. He was devoid of all control over his own body, and Ganon instructed him to destroy Zelda. Suddenly, Zelda appeared in front of Link, tears in her eyes, pleading. And without thinking Link leaped forward with the Master Sword unsheathed straight towards Zelda. The last thing Link saw was Zelda’s face as she screamed and braced herself, he woke up just before the blow was delivered. 

Link shot up in his bed, breathing heavily as he looked around, panicked. He grounded himself when his eyes were met with the familiar room, the familiar bed, the familiar flower pot on the nightstand, and the familiar princess who was still asleep beside him. Funnily enough, the pain that shot through his body when he shot up so quickly helped him to come back to reality. 

Link took a deep breath, and flopped back onto the bed. He rubbed his eyes, astonished by how vivid the dream was. He’d had his fair share of nightmares before, he recalled having them frequently before the calamity struck because of all the pressure he was under, dreaming of failing his mission and being told he wasn’t good enough. 

But this nightmare was very different. It left that feeling of dread that Link hadn’t felt since he was a child, after reading a scary book.  
Link was beginning to feel tired of this growing worry, feeling like he just needed a break. His eyebrows furrowed when he decided he wasn’t going to lose sleep over some stupid nightmare, and he rolled over to his side to attempt to return back into a slumber, not without huffing as his side stung, something he was starting to get used to. 

He turned to face Zelda, who had moved away from him during the night, and studied her face as she slept so soundly. Her face was illuminated by the moonlight pouring into the room, her perfect messy golden hair trickled over her face, as some of it escaped her braid, her long eyelashes graced the top of her cheeks. Link felt a sense of peace as his eyes roamed over the princess’s delicate features, and he felt his eyelids becoming heavy.

It was only for a moment that they closed when they shot back open as Zelda moved to curl into Link, her head burrowing into his chest. He blinked a few times before that sense of peace fell over him once again, and he wrapped his arm around the smaller Hylian, holding her close as he rested his chin on her head. His eyelids fell heavy once again, and he drifted back into his much needed sleep.

Link awoke to the bright sun that casted through the window. He blinked slowly as his eyes opened. The first thing he saw was the top of Zelda’s head, as she was still buried into his chest. Link’s arm still rested on her back and he shifted her closer. As he breathed in, his senses were filled with Zelda’s sweet scent. 

He looked to the window, the sun was just in view, and its position signified that it was the middle of the day. He wasn’t surprised at how late they slept in because they were both exhausted. Link could stay like this all day, peacefully waiting for Zelda to awake, just happy that she was in his arms. This could be the case, if it weren’t for the stinging reminder of Link’s battle with Ganon that felt like it was taking over his body.

Link groaned and shifted uncomfortably, and he unintentionally woke Zelda up.  
Zelda fluttered her eyes open and looked up at Link, who gave her an apologetic smile.  
“I’m sorry for waking you, Zel.” He said eyebrows furrowing, he knew how much she needed rest.

She yawned. “It’s okay. How long have you been awake?” 

“A few minutes.”

Zelda hummed in acknowledgement. “Do you know what time it is?”

Link rolled over to reach for the Sheikah Slate as he answered her with his assumption. He moved too quickly and a dull pain shot through him, but he didn’t acknowledge it.  
“I’m guessing it's the middle of the day, considering the sun’s smack in the middle of the sky.” He opened the nightstand drawer and pulled the slate out, this time rolling back to face Zelda much slower. 

He turned it on to check the time.

“3:45 pm.” Link sighed, not expecting it to be that late in the day.  
Zelda sat up slowly. If you had told Zelda she slept until 3:45 before the calamity, Zelda would race out of bed immediately. But now, she just yawned and stretched her arms, humming while  
doing so.

“You know,” She started. “I could get used to this.” She turned to Link giving her a knowing look. “Yeah, I know I can’t. Duty calls right?” Zelda said and a lazy smile plastered her face. She felt more of a sense of duty to her title now more than ever. Zelda huffed and faced Link, before falling back onto him, her head resting on his chest. Link grunted and squinted his eyes shut, his voice turning hoarse. 

“Zelda, if my wound was a target, you just hit the bullseye.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Zelda exclaimed sitting up.

Link laughed off the pain. “It’s okay, don’t worry.” 

“Are you sure? Do you think you’ll recover soon?” 

Link playfully rolled his eyes. “Yes, Zel. I’ll be fine. It’s only been less than a day since.”

“Whatever you say, knight in shining armor.” Zelda jested, earning a chuckle from Link.

“More like a knight in a blue t-shirt.” Link replied and his words dripped with a sarcastic tone that made Zelda laugh loudly. Zelda leaned back onto the bed, and rolled on her side to face Link, who was resting on his back. 

“So, princess, what are the plans for today?” Link corrected himself, “Well, the rest of the day.” 

“Well today we can just relax, considering it is already well into the afternoon, and I believe we owe ourselves some relaxation. Unless you had something else in mind. But for the rest of the week I was thinking we should head to all of the main cities to inform the people of our status, you know, me being freed because you succeeded.” As she spoke she took a small section of Link’s unruly hair and began to absentmindedly braid it. “I also wish to discuss the future plans to rebuild Hyrule, although I don’t have an estimate on when that will officially commence.”

Link listened to her speak, studying her soft features as her gaze was stolen by the strands of his hair she was braiding. She really was beautiful. It seemed that Link got so lost in her words when she spoke that he forgot about the dulling pain in his side each time he focused on her. She truly was a main source of peace in his life.

“Okay. I have another idea that we could do in the next few days. I may or may not know a certain person who you’d might be excited to see again.” Link said causing Zelda’s emerald eyes to widen. She scanned Link’s face as he smirked, keeping her in suspense. “I believe Impa has been patiently waiting for you for much too long now.” Zelda squealed with excitement and her eyes swelled with joyous tears upon hearing that her old friend was alive and well. She moved into Link and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight but gentle hug. He chuckled at her excitement, happy to deliver her news that brought her joy. 

“Our first official order of business will be to head to Kakariko. I think Impa can help us decide Hyrules future.” Zelda’s sudden burst of energy and willingness to go on another adventure surprised Link. “We’ll leave first thing tomorrow.” Zelda said, in a flurry of excitement. Link’s heart sunk at having to travel so far again so soon, especially in his condition, but he didn’t have the heart to take this from Zelda. If it would make her happy, he would gladly push through the pain. She deserved to see Impa again.

“Sounds like a plan.” Link said instead.

She smiled at her knight and her eyes softened fondly.  
“As for today then, I think we both deserve a day off. No monster slaying. No Ganon” Zelda said as she spoke with her hands,

“I couldn’t agree more.” Link returned her smile, before an idea crossed his mind. “How about some shopping?” Though Link was not in the greatest condition, some fresh air and the familiarity of the village wouldn’t hurt as much as a full on expedition. Zelda was surprised by his suggestion and returned it with a “Huh?” 

“Not that I’m saying you don’t pull off that shirt better than I ever could,” Link began, “but you;re going to need some travel gear of your own.”

Zelda looked down at the loose shirt that was falling off her shoulders. “Oh, right. I can’t just keep wearing your stuff can I. But… I don’t have any rupees.” She said the last part as she realized the reality of her situation. She had no clothes of her own, no belongings, and no money.

“I’m going to pay for it, of course.” He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She opened her mouth to protest, but Link spoke before she could disagree. “Unless you can magically summon rupees...” He stopped to think, “which I probably wouldn’t put past you, I’m the one who’s going to gladly pay for it.” Zelda realized that arguing would be pointless.

“Thank you, Link. You’ve done so much for me.” She reached over to embrace him.

As they got ready to leave the house, Link noticed how carefree Zelda was about her appearance. She didn’t bother to put her hair in an elaborate style or straighten out her clothes. All she did was quickly tie her hair into a low ponytail, shorter pieces of hair framing her face. 

Before the calamity struck she would have never left the castle in such a condition. Now it was different, however. She didn’t care how she looked, she was just happy to be herself. She really couldn’t care less about what clothes she wore, but decided that she should get her own so that she didn’t steal Link’s. Plus a shopping spree with Link sounded suspiciously like a date, and Zelda was more than excited to do something of the sort, even if it was just for a few minutes.  
.  
They left Link’s house, crossing the bridge that connected his home with the rest of the village. Link attempted to hide his limp, but eventually grew distracted as he and Zelda chatted as they entered the town. 

The townspeople eyed the two blond Hylians and Zelda was reminded that she was in fact the princess, and she had been absent for one hundred years. As they walked, a crowd began to surround them, blocking their path as the citizens of Hateno bombarded both the princess and the knight. Zelda usually would have been overwhelmed by the crowd, but after one hundred years she empathized with her people now more than ever, and her heart was warmed at all the smiles and cheers due to her return. 

Words of “The princess has returned!” filled the air. Link glanced at Zelda, and she knew he did so to see if she needed him to handle the situation. She gave him a smile and a flick of her hand, to signify that she was more than happy to interact with her people once again. Zelda responded to the cheers with a smile and a wave, happy to see that her people have missed her just as much as she’d miss them. 

Zelda and Link stopped walking as they passed by the townspeople, as a small child ran through the crowd, a person they assumed was the child's parent or grandparent rushing after them. The child ran up to Zelda, and looked at her with innocent eyes. 

“My grandma has told me so much about you princess! You’re just as pretty as she said you were.” The little girl spoke, causing Zelda’s heart to swell from how sweet the child’s words were. 

“Thank you, that means so much coming from a beautiful girl like you.” Zelda knelt down in front of the child reaching over to a flower that grew at their feet, and plucked it. She placed the flower behind the girl's ear, earning a wide toothy grin from the child.  
“There, now you look more like a princess than I do.” The girl giggled, and turned her attention to Link, who was watching the interaction from Zelda’s side. 

“Thank you for saving our princess, Link. I hope one day I will be as big and strong as you are!” The girl pretended to swing a sword as she spoke. 

“Oh you already are, there's no way I could take you!” Link said as he ruffled the top of the girl’s head. She laughed, but turned around once she heard who they assumed was her mother calling her to her. The girl scurried off, leaving both Zelda and Link’s hearts feeling warm from the interaction.

They made their way through the crowd of people, the citizens eventually parting in respect of their princess. Link and Zelda made their way to the clothing store, and were greeted by a woman behind her desk. 

Link made casual conversation with the fellow Hateno resident he had gotten familiar with since he had lived there while Zelda browsed the selection of clothing. 

After a few minutes of browsing, Zelda settled on a few plain shirts, ideal for traveling, a few comfortable pants, and a few stylish shirts for when she felt like dressing up. The clothes were women’s, so Zelda figured they would fit as she put the hangers to her chest and measured how big the item was by eye. Zelda called Link over as she examined two shirts, one a deep green and the other a bright yellow. Link stepped next to Zelda.

“What’s up?” He said as he arrived to her side.

“I’m not sure...which one I like better,” She said slowly as she brought each shirt up to her torso, “What do you think, green or yellow?” Link stood back to get a better view of the princess, putting his hand on his chin as he thought. 

“Green,” He eventually settled on. “It makes your eyes pop more than they already do.” 

Zelda blushed at the compliment. “Green it is then.” 

Link took some of the clothes that Zelda was holding folded over her arm, helping her to bring them to the counter. 

“I still feel bad that you have to pay for all of this.” Zelda said, an apologetic look in her eyes.

“Oh no, don’t feel bad. It’s not like holding off Ganon for a century was a paying job. It’s my treat, I’ve got a ton of Rupees saved up anyway.” Link reassured her, although that wouldn’t stop her from still feeling a little guilty.  
Link paid for the clothes, but Zelda didn’t let him help her carry any of the bags. She figured it was the least she could do considering he paid for them and the fact that she didn’t want him carrying anything remotely heavy in his condition. Ever since they left the house, Zelda noticed how heavy Link’s eyelids drooped, and how tired and worn he looked, and how he would wince when he thought she wasn’t looking. She knew he wasn’t one hundred percent, but ultimately figured that he would heal soon. She relied on Link’s reassurances to come to that conclusion. Besides, she knew how much the battle took out of Link, and expected him to be worn out for a time. So what she settled on was trying her best to make his life easier anyway she could, such as carrying the bags back to the house. 

“Are you sure you’re well enough to go to Kakariko?” Zelda asked, realizing maybe they shouldn’t leave so soon.

“Zelda, I’m okay. I’ve had worse injuries and got around just fine. And by tomorrow I’ll be even better.” Link said, knowing that that was a white lie. While he did have bad injuries before, this one was much worse, but he shoved his fear so far back into his head that he was starting to believe his own fabrications.

They returned to Link’s house and Zelda brought the bags upstairs, while Link began on dinner. For the rest of the day, they chatted and laughed as they caught up with each other. Link relished in each smile or chuckle his stories of his travels brought upon Zelda’s face. If this was how life would be from now on, Link wouldn’t have it any other way, minus the pain of course.


	4. Not Like You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link's condition worsens, and Zelda must take action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emetophobia Warning for this chapter!

The next day they awoke in the morning, this time Zelda waking before Link. She thought she would help start preparing travel packs for their journey, letting Link get his rest. 

It wasn’t long before Link awoke, and his sleepy gaze watched as Zelda moved around the room preparing their gear. She looked ready to go, wearing the green shirt she picked out yesterday at the shop. She paused when she caught sight of Link watching her, a subtle blush forming on her cheeks as his eyes were dreamily fixated on her.

“Good morning. Are you prepared to leave soon?” She asked as Link sat up to stretch. He looked to the dresser, where he noticed his clothes neatly folded and waiting for him. Next to the clothes, the Master Sword leaned on the dresser, the sheath glinting in the morning sunlight.  
Soon enough, their gear was readied, and they were all set to depart for Kakariko Village. 

The air was cool on Zelda and Link’s skin, and Zelda took a deep inhale, thankful to be able to breathe fresh air again.

Link saddled up his horse, however, he began to struggle to mount the loyal creature. Zelda took note of Link’s hardship and voiced her concern.

“Link are you sure you’re okay? We don’t have to go.” She said, stepping closer to the struggling hero.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Link said, beginning to grow frustrated at himself and his lack of ability. How was he to protect Zelda from any harm if he couldn’t even get onto his horse? Link cursed himself. Zelda stepped closer and reached a hand out in an attempt to help Link onto the saddle.

“Are you sure because-“ She started before the hero turned sharply at her.  
“I said I’m fine!” Link snapped, a wave of uncharacteristic anger getting the best of him. As he raised his voice at the concerned princess, the whites of his eyes flash that malice induced color.

Link blinked rapidly, seemingly coming to as though he hadn't been conscious at that moment. His face twisted in confusion. He shook his head, horrified at his sudden burst of anger at Zelda. 

“Shit,” He ran his hand through his hair, pulling his bangs out of his face. “Zel, I-I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

Zelda’s eyebrows furrowed. “Link, what was that? Because that sure as hell wasn’t you. I think I’m going mad or something because I swear I saw your eyes change color.” Zelda analyzed his face as a puzzled look formed upon it. He chuckled nervously.

“What? Zelda, come on don’t be ridiculous. I’m fine, just...tired. From the battle, you know?” 

“I’m not being ridiculous!” Her voice grew annoyed, first he yelled at her and then called her ridiculous. Maybe she really was going crazy. “If something is wrong then tell me.” She crossed her arms, awaiting Link’s answer, fully prepared for him to lie.

“Nothing is wrong, I promise-.” Link replied before he was cut off by Zelda. 

“You know what, let's just go to Kakariko.” She huffed and looked away from her knight.  
Link opened his mouth to speak, but settled on a nod as to not upset the princess even more. He built up all of his strength to pull himself onto the horse and with a swift movement and a suppressed groan, he mounted atop the steed. He extended a hand out to assist Zelda, but she ignored it, and jumped behind him on her own. 

They rode out of Hateno, the sun still in the sky. Link tried to think of an explanation or something he could say to fix the situation, but like he did before the calamity, he struggled to say anything, and found solace in the silence he once knew so well. 

The first forty minutes of the ride felt long, thanks to Link remaining silent and Zelda being too stubborn to talk to him. She awkwardly held onto him during the ride, but didn’t make herself comfortable like she would have. It was only when Link stopped the horse that anyone spoke.

“Uh, Link? Why are we stopping?” Zelda said her anger from earlier dwindling as it was being replaced by confusion. 

Link shut his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose, slurring his speech as he began. “I’m sorry, I just...don’t feel well. I think- I think I’m gonna be sick.” The hero practically threw himself off of Fynn and rushed to the side of the dirt road. Zelda’s anger was completely taken over by concern for her companion. She followed him off of the horse without a question and rushed to his side to physically support him while he emptied his stomach. Zelda’s face twisted in horror as the blackish purple substance escaped from Link’s mouth and onto the ground. 

Shortly after, he collapsed to the ground, dragging Zelda down with him as she tried to support his body. Zelda resisted the shock that threatened to freeze her in place to attempt to wake Link. 

“Link!” She shook him. “Link!” Panic began to settle in with the tears that gathered in her eyes.. “What am I going to do? Link…please.” She put her head down on his chest and the tears were released in pained sobs. 

After a few seconds of succumbing to fear, Zelda sat up and wiped her tears, sounds of sadness still escaping from within her. She used all of her strength to try to lift Link, and when she just barely had him slung over her shoulder, she called to his horse. 

The steed walked over to the princess and the hero, seemingly sensing something was very wrong. The horse knelt down, and Zelda struggled to situate Link on the horse’s sturdy back. 

She held him up with one arm as she hoisted herself up to join him. Wasting no time, Zelda kicked the horse’s side, demanding him to run as fast as he could. The tears that coated Zelda’s face froze from the wind that zipped past them as they barreled through to Kakariko. 

“Just hold on Link… please.” She sobbed, determination in her heart to reach their destination. She turned to Link, who was slumped against her back, and was mortified when dark veins were creeping up Link’s neck. Something was happening to him, something bad, and the sight fueled her determination as her heart beat faster than ever. 

Shortly, they reached Kakariko and Zelda announced their presence with her frantic calls for help. 

“Somebody help! Please, somebody get Impa!” She screamed, causing the residents who were out on the town to turn their heads towards her. Murmurs of “Is that the princess?” and “What’s wrong with Link?” erupted amongst them.   
Sheikah guards rushed to the princess and the unconscious hero, as she jumped off of the horse and helped the guards assist Link down. 

“Princess, you’re back! What is wrong with the hero?” A guard who rushed to them queried. 

“I don’t know, we were riding here and he got sick and passed out.” Zelda spit out the words frantically as she ran a stressed hand through her hair. “Please just help him.”

As Link was taken from the horse and surrounded by many arms assisting him, his eyes shot open, the malice color overtaking the white. He stood up swiftly and twisted the nearest arm he could grab, flipping the owner of the arm onto his back. The guard yelped in pain as he was tossed to the ground. Link unsheathed his sword, and it glowed its evil banishing aura. Any other person would have overlooked the detail, but Zelda’s sharp wit caught hold of it. 

The rest of the Sheikah men drew their swords, as Link stepped onto the fallen guard, ready to drive the Master Sword into him. Zelda let out a scream, and Link’s head sharply turned to her. He removed his foot from the guard as he began slowly toward the princess, eventually picking up great speed. The men stood before Zelda, and attempted to shield her from the rampaging hero of Hyrule. They each attacked Link, who made quick work of all of them, knocking them to their feet. His focus was solely on Zelda, who stepped back in fear. 

He rushed to her, putting a strong hand against her neck and lifting her a few centimeters into the air. She gasped for breath, using one hand to claw at the fingers wrapped around her throat, and another to pound as hard as she could against the attacker's shoulder. She stared into Link’s eyes, but there seemed to be no trace of him in there. Suddenly, as the hero positioned his sword toward the princess, he stopped, the blue of his eyes returning. 

He released his grip on the princess, who dropped to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath. His expression had one of someone who had just awoken, and he didn’t seem to register what was going on. Before he could fully come to, a dart was shot into the back of his neck, and Zelda looked up to see him collapse once again to the ground. 

Zelda’s eyes travelled the path the dart came from, to see Impa standing atop the stairs of the main building in Kakariko, the blowpipe still pressed to her mouth. Zelda’s eyes widened at the sight of her old friend, still taking in the shock of the entire situation. Impa called to the guards who were beginning to recover.

“Bring the boy here. He won’t be awake for a while.” The guards scrambled to their feet to lift Link off of the ground and began towards Impa’s house. Zelda quickly stood and followed the guards, who carried Link’s lifeless body to Impa’s house, while she tripped over her own feet as she tried to recollect herself.

So many thoughts ran through her head as she accompanied the guards and Link. She examined his limp body, tears welling in her eyes as she seemingly stood helpless as he fought whatever was doing this to him alone. That had to be the only explanation. That wasn’t Link before, Link would never hurt her, right? What was happening to him? She reviewed his body closely, the same purple coloring creeping even further up his neck. Her head spun as she tried to search for a conclusion.

They reached the top of the stairs, a guard stepping ahead to hold the door open for them. Impa waited at the center of the building and quickly turned once the guards arrived with Link and Zelda in tow.

“Bring him upstairs.” Impa commanded, then turned her attention to the princess before her. “Oh, Zelda…” Impa’s eyes softened and she extended her arms. Zelda studied her for a moment, unable to believe her old friend stood in front of her. It took her a moment to absorb her appearance after all the years, as she appeared much older. Without a word, Zelda ran to her, and as soon as she made contact with her dear friend, she began to sob.

Impa held her head as the princess released all the emotion that was taking her over. The poor child had been through so much, she thought.

“It is so lovely to see you again, princess. It is unfortunate that we meet under such dire circumstances. Come, we shall catch up later. Right now, the hero needs us.” Zelda pulled away from Impa, who wiped the tears that stained Zelda’s cheeks. Zelda nodded, and followed Impa as she turned to the stairs, the guards stood at the base of them and awaited her orders. “You may go.” Impa instructed with a wave of her hand.

“But chief, he is dangerous-” One guard protested before being interrupted by his elder.

“That is true, but this is Link we are talking about, and something is very wrong with him.”   
The guard nodded knowing better than to argue with the chief, and motioned for the others to follow him out of the house. 

Impa started up the stairs, an overwhelmed Zelda behind her. Zelda wanted so badly to catch up with her old friend, but her concern for Link was almost paralysing, and her mind couldn’t think about anything else.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Zelda’s eyes were greeted with an unconscious Link, who was laid on a bed, the sickening discoloration working its way up his neck. Next to him, a pale haired girl kneeled and observed him. She jumped at the presence of Impa and Zelda, and her teary eyes widened when she realized who stood behind her grandmother. 

“You must be the princess. How unfortunate is the situation in which we meet.” The soft spoken girl spoke with an apologetic look in her eyes. Zelda responded with a nod, agreeing with the girl and her eyebrows creased. Impa chimed in and gestured between the two girls. 

“Princess Zelda, this is my granddaughter Paya. Paya, Princess Zelda.” The silver haired girl bowed her head at the princess before she spoke, almost a whisper. 

“I will leave you two to tend to our hero. It was lovely to meet you, Princess.” 

“Likewise, see you.” The princess responded with a faint and hollow smile which was born out of her fear for her knight, and her eyes fell back to Link as Paya scurried out of the room.   
Impa was quick to replace Paya at the bedside and knelt before the hero. She began to examine him, first placing a hand on his forehead. She spoke to Zelda, but her focus remained on Link. 

“He’s ice cold. And this coloring, I don’t understand it.” Impa examined the boy further, her eyes following the dark veins on his skin as she lifted his shirt to see where it seemed to be spreading from. Both Impa and Zelda were horrified to see a bandage that was completely soaked with dried blood, and seemed to be the source of the darkness. Impa cautiously lifted the bandage, and Zelda winced as the awful wound was revealed. The veins surrounding the wound spread the color to various parts of Link’s body. Zelda gasped as she laid her eyes upon her dear friend, and cursed herself for being unaware that he had been dealing with this the whole time they’ve been reunited. 

“I have never seen such a condition before. This is certainly the source of his uncharacteristic aggression that we witnessed moments ago.”

“That isn’t the first time he’s had an outburst. Well the first time wasn’t nearly anything like this one but there was one thing that both had in common.” Zelda spoke as her breath grew shaky. Impa turned to the girl, waiting for her to continue.

“I’m unsure if you’ll believe me but Link… his eyes… they changed colors. One moment they’re blue and he’s the Link I know and the next they were this darkened purple, almost black. They were filled with something I am unable to even describe. Each time it happened...that wasn’t the Link I know.” 

Impa stood and walked to one of the room's cabinets, fishing through them as she spoke. 

“It seems something has infected him, corrupted him, even. Something tells me it has to do with Ganon.” 

Zelda’s green eyes widened and she shook her head in confusion. “That can’t be. Link slayed the calamity, and I sealed it away myself. How could this be Ganon’s doing if we’ve taken care of it?”   
“I am unsure. I cannot seem to find a logical explanation.” Impa turned back to Link as she finished rummaging through the drawers. She walked back to Link with a fresh bandage and began to clean the wound. Before Zelda could respond to Impa’s observation, Link reached for Impa’s arm, which had only graced the wound and clenched around it with brute strength. He was still unconscious, and his reflex was now clenched around the Sheikah. Zelda gasped and Impa winced, but after a few moments, Link’s grip released. Impa rubbed her wrist where it had been grabbed. 

“Are you okay?” Zelda placed her hands on the short woman, who nodded. “You might be right, Impa. This has to be Ganon’s doing. Earlier today Link fell ill and vomited a substance much like blight. And when she drew his sword moments ago, it responded as though facing a malice consumed enemy.” Zelda grimaced at the recent memory. Ganon was not the first conclusion she jumped to upon seeing the blight drip from Link’s mouth, but now that Impa had mentioned it, it made too much sense. “I apologize for not mentioning it earlier.”

“My assumption is strengthened. That settles it then, although I am not completely certain, I fear there is a strong possibility that our assumption may be at hand.” Impa finished replacing the bandage, and stood to face Zelda. 

“Until we are certain about our next move I am sorry to say that we must imprison Link. For his safety and everyone else’s. We cannot be so sure an outburst like that does not happen again.”   
Zelda tried to come up with an argument as to why imprisoning Link would be absurd, but she couldn’t as she realized that doing so could potentially save lives. If Link, the strongest warrior in all of Hyrule, was influenced by Ganon, there was no telling the damage he could do.  
Zelda just nodded, accepting Impa’s words without resistance. 

“What do we do now?” Her voice was quiet, the reality of the situation silencing her certainty. Impa was quiet for a moment, pondering an answer for the young woman. Before Impa could come up with an idea that would hurt the least, Zelda spoke quietly, “Wait…” Her eyes scanned the floor rapidly as she was processing a plan. Zelda turned to her frantically, her green eyes wide. “The Deku Tree! I must see the Deku Tree. He’s bound to have wisdom about the situation.” She chuckled, flabbergasted at the fact she hadn’t thought of it sooner. “Perhaps he even has a solution!”   
“A brilliant idea, Zelda. It is best that you stay far from Link at the time of another potential outburst. I will gather men to escort you.” 

“No, I will do this alone, I don’t need protection anymore. Please just watch over Link, I cannot lose him again.” Zelda swiftly grabbed the Sheikah Slate that lay on the nightstand that all of Link’s belongings were resting on and started towards the stairs.  
“Zelda, I cannot let you go alone-“ Impa began but Zelda hurriedly traversed down the stairs and fled from the main building. Before Impa could call out to her or order men to stop her from leaving, Zelda mounted Fynn in a rush. She turned to see Impa heavily breathing at the entrance of her house, Zelda gave her an apologetic look, but that was all she left her with before she galloped away from the once peaceful village.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
